GOVERNANCE = CONTROL OF SERVICES

Governance is a term used to describe the management and control of services. So, for example, if the role of IT is to help a thriving company develop innovative products and services, the IT governance plan might include several new high-tech initiatives to help achieve this goal.
However, if a company is using technology to help it survive a downturn, IT governance is mainly concerned with efficiency, saving money, and sharing systems.

Business Traveller Tips by José Ferreiro

For people who prize efficiency, what are the potential time-saving alternatives in order to avoid wasting time?
 1- Use public transportation: In many cities if you take a taxi to go to a place, it may take you longer than using public transportation.

2 - Study your holtel location: Look at your meeting(s) in a map and choose your hotel strategically.

3 - Travel off-peak:  Do not travel in rush hour, this will save you time and above all stress. Go one day earlier to your meeting and
Stay in a hotel overnight and arrive at your meeting relaxed and ready to work :-)!

What is the role of the CIO/IT Director?

The role of the CIO/IT Director is to act as the business owner for IT, ensuring that whatever competitive advantage or operational efficiency that might exist, is identified, prioritised and implemented. With the increasing emergence of ubiquitous technology, the danger is that for IT leaders who fail to grasp the challenge, they will be usurped by their colleagues in finance who albeit mistakenly believe good IT is easy and who will then take those decisions unilaterally, leading to poor IT decisions. In my opinion, it is the age old argument between "IT and the business", it is a misnomer. You do not hear "Sales and the business" or "Finance and the business", IT leaders need to wise up and realise they ARE the business and take ownership, be business leaders first and technologists second, just like their boardroom colleagues are in their respective disciplines.
Unless you can achieve this, then you are the biggest threat to the long term health of IT in your business.